Electrical terminal having conductor-severing edge



Sept. 8, 1953 J. OORTGIJSEN 2,651,768

ELECTRICAL TERMINAL HAVING CONDUCTOR-SEVERING EDGE q Filed March 24, 1948 I I/VI/E/VTOK JAN OORTGIJSEN i 47 Tom 5r Patented Sept. 8, 1953 OFFICE ELECTRICAL TERMINAL HAVING CONDUCTOR-SEVERING EDGE Jan Oortgijsen, Rijswijk, Netherlands Application March 24, 1948, Serial No. 16,77 6

. I In the Netherlands April 2, 1947 4 Claims.

This invention relatesto an electrical terminal having gaps for the reception of the conductor and a conductor-severing edge.

When connecting conductorsto terminals the waste end of the conductors projecting beyond the contacts often has to be removed. In signalling and like installations, when uncovered conductors are to be connected to terminals, the, waste end is often removed by moving the free conductor end to and fro until it breaks 01f. This L operation takes much time however. Furthermore the terminals are not always accessible to permit this to be done. When the ends of the conductors are cut off with pliers this also represents an additional operation,

These disadvantages are avoided according to the invention by the fact that the consecutive gaps of the terminal have different depths adapted to receive an electrical conductor, the gap of lesser depth defining a severing edge arranged to be engaged by the conductor lying in the gap and adapted to cooperate with the severi'ng edge of a complementary tool receivable on said terminal to engage slidably the severing edge in such a way that when the conductor or the conductors are pressed into the slit or slits of the terminal the waste end of each conductor projecting from the terminal is cut off. Hereby a conductor is firmly brought into position in one operation, whereby it makes a good contact with the contact rims of the terminal,- and is simul taneously cut off at the proper point. Furthermore the tool may be made in such a way that the above-mentioned operations may also be executed reliably at points which are not easily accessible.

According to the invention the terminal may be provided with a slit portion widening at least towards the outside of the slit where the free end of each conductor is disposed. Hereby a head is shaped outside the narrow slit portion whereby the conductor will be held more firmly in the terminal.

The tool and/ or the terminal according to the invention may be provided with guiding means formed in various ways and insuring that the cutting means always act upon the desired point and in the desired way.

In an advantageous embodiment two consecutive gaps may be formed in an annular member extending from the base of the terminal, the annular member being provided with aligned slits of different depths extending through the walls thereof, the slit of lesser depth defining a severing dg w th t e u er surface of said annular member. The tool to be applied with this embodiment for inserting an electrical conductor in the aligned slits may have an annular recess for receiving the annular member, one wall of the recess defining a severing edge for engaging the severing edge of the terminal for cutting off the end of an electrical conductor extending from the slit of lesser depth upon downward movement of the tool upon the member for inserting the conductor.

The invention will be explained more fully below with reference to the drawings representing by way of example two embodiments of the terminal and an embodiment of the tool.

Figure 1 shows part'of a terminal with two slits and the corresponding tool.

Figure 2 is a cross section along the line II-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a terminal as shown in Figure 1, in which the slits have bevelled edges.

Figure 4 is a cross section along the line IVIV of Figure 3.

The terminal according to Figures 1 and 2 comprises a cylindrical body I provided with a recess ,2 and two slits 3 and 4 of different depths. The tool 5 cooperating with said terminal is provided with a central pin 6 which can penetrate in the recess 2. The tool 5 further has a concentric jacket 1 which may fit around the terminal I. Said jacket 1 serves as a cutting jaw for cutting off the waste end 8 of the conductor 9. The bottom of the slit 3 with the smallest depth serves as a cutting jaw cooperating therewith.

In the terminal according to the Figures 3 and 4 the slits 3 and 4 are bevelled so that slit portions 3 and 4' which widen towards the outside are obtained. Hereby the indentations pressed in the conductor are also bevelled, the conductor 9 maintaining at its free end after being cut off a head 9 which may contribute to receiving traction load.

According to the invention the terminal and/ or the tool may form part of an electrical apparatus, or may be incorporated in said apparatus. The apparatus may then have the tool attached to its cover, for example, or the tool may be operated thereby. Then the wires need only be laid in the entrance of the terminal and they are then automatically inserted and cut off when the cover is brought into position. However, it is also possible to locate the tool in the apparatus, for example at the base thereof, and to fix the terminal to the cover.

Furthermore it is stated that the tool may also back the legs of the terminal in order to prevent an outward yielding to the reaction forces when the conductor is pressed into the terminal. Such a backing is of special importance at the beginning of bringing the conductor into the terminal since then the momentum tending to make the slit wider is maximum. Hereby the terminal may be designed less strong, consequently economising materials. On the other hand a more'powerful deformation of conductors may be permitted whereby a given terminal may suit a larger series of wire gauges.

I claim:

1. A terminal for an electrical conductor, comprising a base, a plurality of consecutive pairs of gap-forming members, each pair defining a gap therebetween for receiving a: conductor, at least one of said members presenting a straight contact edge facing the other member of said pair, said consecutive gaps having different depths adapted to receive an electrical conductor, the gap of least depth defining a severing edge arranged to be engaged by the conductor lying in said gap and adapted to cooperate with the severing edge of a complementary tool receivable on said terminal to slidably engage'said'severing edge.

2. A terminal for an. electrical conductor comprising a base. and an annular member extending from said base, said annular member being pro vided with aligned slits of diiierent depths extending through the walls thereof, the slit oi lesser depth defining a severing edgewith the outer surface of said annular member.

3. A terminal for an: electrical conductor comprising a base and an annular member extending from said base, said annular member bein provided with aligned slitsof different depths extending through the walls thereof, the slit of lesser depth defining a severing edge with the outer surface of said annular member, and a tool for inserting an electrical conductor in said aligned slits, said tool having an annular recess for receiving said annular member, one wall of said recess defining a severing edge for engaging the severing edge of said terminal for cutting off the end oi. an: electricak conductor: extending from said slit oft lesser depth. upon. downward movement of said tool upon said member for inserting said conductor.

4. A terminal for an electrical conductor as defined. in; claim 2 wherein the slits are provided with bevelled exterior edges JAN OORTGIJSEN.

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